Australia National Basketball League
If you didn’t already know about the Australian Basketball League before Lamelo Ball, now you do. The NBL is an exceptional league and is highly respected in the international basketball community. Lamelo Ball played for the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong, Australia. After his short stint and successful play, he has solidified himself as a top 3 pick for this year’s 2020 NBA Draft.
Let’s find out more about this league and how an import player or International Basketball Player can take advantage of all the Australian Basketball League has to offer.
The Australian National Basketball League has long been respected among International Basketball Leagues outside the United States. Australia as a whole has always produced some of the best athletes the world has seen in all of the sports. People such as Ian Thorpe, Lleyton Hewitt, Rod Laver, Cathy Freeman, Margaret Court, and surfer Wayne Bartholomew, are among the world’s best athletes of all time.
But Australia basketball has always produced great basketball players. Basketball Players such as Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Matthew Delladova, Joe Ingles, Luc Longley, Thon Maker, Andrew Gaze, and WNBA player Lauren Jackson are incredibly good players that made a name for themselves in the elite American NBA and WNBA.
Tryouts, Opportunites, and League Information
Throughout this article, I will give you information about the Australian Basketball League and how an athlete coach or agent can help their player play in this prestigious league.
National Basketball League Australia teams
Australian National Basketball League is divided into two, Women’s division and Men’s Division.
The teams in the Men’s division are:
- Adelaide 36ers
- Melbourne Tigers
- New Zealand Breakers
- Brisbane Bullets
- Canberra Cannons
- Sydney Kings
- North Melbourne Giants
- South East Melbourne Magic
- St Kilda Saints
- Illawarra Hawks
- West Adelaide Bearcats
- Victoria Titans
- Melbourne United
- Launceston Casino City Tigers
- Eastside Spectres
- West Sydney Razorbacks
- Cairns Taipans
- Geelong Supercats
- Townsville Crocodiles
- Perth Wildcats has accumulated nine wins since 1987, and this record makes them the teams with most championship titles.
Women’s league teams are:
- University of Canberra Capitals
- Melbourne Boomers
- Southside Flyers
- Sydney Uni Flames
- Adelaide Lightning
- Townsville Fire
- Dandenong Rogers
- Perth Lynx
The last two season champions are the UC Capitals; they rose and beat the Townsville Fire, who has been championed and sitting on the throne for almost three years.
Notable Americans in the Australian Basketball League
The champions in each division have produced famous American basketball superstars like Ricky Grace, who was an MVP and was popularly know for his nickname “Amazing Grace.” He became a Basketball Hall of Famer in 2010 (NBLA, 2015).
Professional basketball players are working so hard to stay in the team not just because of their passion for playing, but also because of the salary. It is widely known that athletes are being paid a hefty amount of money to play in a team and make that team win. The real question here is, how much?
Liam Santamaria, a writer and broadcaster, made a guide in understanding how NBL player’s salary works. With all the calculations of taxes and other fees, the average player’s minimum wage is said to be $17, 000. The high-level players are earning even more because of their performance.
Ranging from $172,000-$350,00, know that this range is without the additional bonuses they get when the teams win (Kein, 2019). The amount of money that these players get by doing the sport that they love is insane compared to those who are making very little money with lots of effort required.
We can say that they are blessed to have their talent and earn while enjoying it, but all their hard work and perseverance is also not easy. This salary talk has surely interested in some little minds.
How Can You Play In the NBL
If you are a great basketball player, you can use your talents to good use.
Since you are already introduced to the world of Australian NBL, we will now answer your question about tryouts. Getting in NBL is not an easy game. You first must join a basketball camp where you can showcase your talent and athleticism. Before entering a basketball court, you must do extensive research not only on the location of the city they will be in, but their current members and management team. You should also check if the site is acceptable to your own set of criteria and if the city will be comfortable for you overall. The next step is to contact management.
How To Contact Australia National Basketball League Coaches
Direct your inquiries to the coach(es) instead of the other staff, as they will just redirect you to the coach himself. Scouts and coaches will then be watching how you play your game, so you have to be at your best to stand out. If you are lucky and talented enough, the coaches and scouts will offer you a place in their team. However, as getting into one group is right, you should also try other clubs before deciding on which team to get a deal with. It would be much better if you could at least try and get drafted into three teams that way you can carefully assess which team will benefit you the most, not only in terms of finances, but other things, such as living conditions, accommodations, and the like (Manoj, n.a.).
Once you decide on a team or when you finally get drafted, that is when your international career starts. You will be subjected to long hours of training and numerous tournaments in the league just to remain in the ABL.
Characteristics Australia National Basketball League Coaches Value
You need to prove to them first that you are hardworking and worthy to be in that place. Some players who get in the team never played because they are too confident with their talent, and they do not take the training seriously. What they don’t realize is that once they get in, that’s when their battle will start.
Players who joined the Australian National Basketball League are not there to play and stay. Most of them are aiming for more significant career opportunities, like the National Basketball Association (NBA). Exposure is the most important thing for a player when they want to be seen by international teams and coaches. Having a chance to play for the NBA is not the only perk of playing the Australian Basketball League (ABL). There are tons of advantages on why it is so fulfilling to be a professional player.
Exposure Australian Basketball League Provides
One of the advantages of playing basketball for the ABL includes numerous exposures to fans and possible scouts for the NBA. Australians take pride in their basketball team, so it is no wonder that they highly respect their players.
Another thing is traveling for free. When you play ball for your state, you are entitled to free flights whenever your team is traveling for a match. The ability to move from one city to another is just so fulfilling that you will treat it as a vacation while at work.
While it can be rewarding, there are also some disadvantages to it. When you are offered a new contract with a new team from another city or country, you must move to that place. This is considered a career growth, but this can be painful for some, while it is a dream come true for other athletes. Another dilemma that players face is their performance.
How To Be Successful While Playing Basketball In Australia
To maintain international success, not only do athletes have to perform their best in every game, they must satisfy the teams’ expectations. Maintaining a position in the NBL/ABL, much like the other international counterparts, is not an easy task because you can be removed as easily as you got into the team.
Making the Final Decision To Play in the Australian Basketball League
If you think playing for the Australian Basketball League is for you, then you might want to consider the things mentioned above because playing in an international league is not for everyone. Yes, there are many benefits because international leagues do draft players, especially those aspiring to be part of the NBA, since they, too, want to compete in the NBA’s level.
Still, you should take into consideration that if you’re going to play for the ABL, you should always perform your best and make sure to satisfy all the requirements and expectations set out by the team, or else you are out. This not only goes for the ABL, but the rest of the international league, such as the Chinese BL, Spanish ACB, etc. Lastly, before signing into the team, be careful, and always check the contracts because you do not want trouble later on once you start your career with your designated team.
References for this article:
Creppy, M. (2018). The perks of playing basketball overseas. The Undefeated. Retrieved
on March 9, 2020 from https://theundefeated.com/features/the-perks-of-playing-
basketball-overseas/.
Manoj, A. (n.a.) Getting a tryout for a basketball club in Europe. No Borders Basketball.
Retrieved on March 8, 2020, from https://nobordersbasketball.com/getting-a-tryout-
for-basketball-clubs/
NBL. (2015). Top Ten NL Players from the NBA Draft. Retrieved on March 9, 2020, from
https://nbl.com.au/news/article/top-ten-nbl-players-from-the-nba-draft
Basketball Australia (n.a.). Leagues. Retrieved on March 9, 2020, from
https://australia.basketball/leagues/
Chemist WNBL. (n.a.). WNBL Champions. Retrieved on March 9, 2020, from
http://wnbl.basketball/league/past-champions/
Kein (2019). Uluc: Tyreke Evans exploring the NBL option. FabrIQ. Retrieved on March 8,
2020 from https://pickandroll.com.au/uluc-tyreke-evans-exploring-nbl-option/
NBL (2018). The Next Gen Opportunity. Retrieved on March 8, 2020, from
https://nbl.com.au/news/article/the-next-gen-opportunity
Creppy, M. (2018). The perks of playing basketball overseas. The Undefeated. Retrieved
on March 8, 2020 from https://theundefeated.com/features/the-perks-of-playing-
basketball-overseas/